Astro Plan

[Agent ONE]

I hope the chinese Macross is successful. IMO they can't do anything worse to the Macross franchise than it has already done to itself.

[MacrossCN]

I hope the chinese Macross is successful. IMO they can't do anything worse to the Macross franchise than it has already done to itself.

In the BLOG, the producer said Astro Plan is a homage of Macross.

http://xpenlee.blog.163.com/blog/static/33...00992611155617/

谨向永恒的经典：《マクロス》致敬！

HAHAHA~~~

Anybody watch this MV?

http://220.170.79.105/html/anime/20100112/68569.html

Edited January 14, 2010 by kresphy

[Funkenstein]

At least its not Space Gandam V. They put the effort to actually come up with something that looks different (and which looks sort of like the J-10 fighter).

[Roy Focker]

Finally a proper sequel to Macross!

[polidread]

man the videos are so painful to watch and i wanna see more of it.

[the white drew carey]

I was wondering whether the split crotch was just to make it look like its transforming more, but then I photoshopped the crotch unsplit, and saw that the YF-10 would have major long dong issues if it didn't.

Edited January 14, 2010 by the white drew carey

[QuinJester]

As a side note: hooray for original bootleg toys!

As a disappointed note:

We finally get a delta-winged "valkyrie" and ... it's this? Come on, Yamato. Pick up the slack, here. I can't wait for a 0D forever.

[RedWolf]

Doesn't look like a hero mecha does it?

Which reminds me Macross was supposed to be a parody of Gundam till they refined the concept.

So a parody of Macross and Gundam?

[Moly_Sigang]

HAHAHA~~~

Anybody watch this MV?

http://220.170.79.105/html/anime/20100112/68569.html

The only thing they did right, though, was the battle scenes against those Vajras Iccus(?). They at least captured the hectic battle right.

[Funkenstein]

To be honest, that toy looks pretty interesting. I wonder what scale it is.

Just to clarify, I do think that the Chinese toy might be using Yamato's resources, the proof being the massive corporate espionage that China is part of.

http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~r/arstechnic...ogle-attack.ars

Edited January 14, 2010 by Funkenstein

[jenius]

looks like the tailfin is supposed to split in two when the backpack folds up but it might not do that on the toy.

[QuinJester]

looks like the tailfin is supposed to split in two when the backpack folds up but it might not do that on the toy.

Nah, there's a clear seam down the center of the fin visible in the fighter photo, and hinges at the base, too. For some reason in the notwalk mode they just folded the fin to one side instead of splitting it.

The toy looks pretty big, actually. I'm curious to see it in nottroid mode. There's a different deco version in the background of the fighter pic, too, with yellow striping.

[miles316]

Finally a proper sequel to Macross!

Its only a sequel if they bought the rights to Macross from Japan paying the creators their due not cloning it, and slapping "OH its a homage" or what redundant drivel they use to cover their ass.

[nugundamII]

As a side note: hooray for original bootleg toys!

As a disappointed note:

We finally get a delta-winged "valkyrie" and ... it's this? Come on, Yamato. Pick up the slack, here. I can't wait for a 0D forever.

the profile is decent enough but look at all that bland solid shoulder molding and the back wing stabilizer part in gerwalk mode. Reminds me of the earlier bandai Macross 7 Bomber valks

Edited January 14, 2010 by azrael

[azrael]

Well, if anybody ever wanted to know what it would be like for a VF to have beam sabers, Bits/Funnels, or Wings of Light pulling off Gurren Lagann actions..... here ya go.

[HoveringCheesecake]

It looks like it is molded from the same cheapo plastic that the lower grade Transformers are made out of.

[wolfx]

u know what would be ironic? That these things are more durable than the yammies.

[Ghost Train]

The case for plagiarism is often times very difficult to make. I am no lawyer, but I suspect that the only time someone can definitively win a case is if a copy is like 99.5% close to the original. Unfortunately, Astro Plan with its blatant Macross inspiration probably has sufficient amounts of small changes to not make it vulnerable to legal action.

Case in point being ships from say EVE Online which bear a remarkable resemblance to other ships in anime.

Case 1:

Megathron-class battleship:

vs. White Base:

Or:

EVE Hyperion class BS:

LOGH Hyperion (Yang's flagship):

Don't have a good file-photo of this... good quality screenies of LOGH ships are quite hard to fine.

Naturally, I have not heard of any lawsuits against CCP for "borrowing" design elements.

[akt_m]

This one looks like from Gundam Seed: http://i3.6.cn/cvbnm/ef/5b/2d/a79c05209acf...bcda94f91f2.jpg

[Gubaba]

This one looks like from Gundam Seed: http://i3.6.cn/cvbnm/ef/5b/2d/a79c05209acf...bcda94f91f2.jpg

The fore does...the aft looks like the Macross Quarter.

[anime52k8]

u know what would be ironic? That these things are more durable than the yammies.

well they look better engineered than the VF-25 DX's

[QuinJester]

well they look better engineered than the VF-25 DX's

Of course they do.

Edited January 14, 2010 by QuinJester

[nugundamII]

well they look better engineered than the VF-25 DX's

oh geez

[QuinJester]

oh geez

NO THEY TOTLLY DO ALRIGHT?!

[Chronocidal]

Seriously, they've already got one leg up on Bandai (or two).. this thing already has the thigh swivel. What'd be kinda hilarious actually.. if those planes get the Jetfire treatment, and when Hasbro has to cut down on production costs, they import these planes as new versions of Starscream et al.

Honestly, I dunno what to think here.. yes, it's an utterly blatant rip-off, but I gotta say this.. China has the blatant rip-off down to an art form. If this ever gets over here, I wouldn't mind watching it actually. I'm sure it'd be hilarious, and probably excellent fodder for an MST3K treatment using Macross dialogue. All it's missing is combining mecha, and this would be the most epic rip-off of all time.

The best analogy I can come up with... it's like a giant horrific wreck of a bullet train full of Hollywood celebrities that collided with a bus full of costumed transvestites on their way to an "I Love Lucy" convention.. you don't want to stare... but holy crap, stuff this stupid actually does happen in real life!

[Keith]

Before everyone gets toy import happy, don't forget about the lead paint!

[Twoducks]

Robot modes and in package pics.

http://item.taobao.com/auction/item_detail...cat=0&pm1=1

http://ngeekhiong.blogspot.com/2010/01/ast...on-figures.html

They desrve credit for being so fast with the toys.

[Twoducks]

Wholly F*! They have a huge line with even "normal" and "deluxe" versions!

http://speedteam.taobao.com/shop/xshop/wui...eckedRange=true

[QuinJester]

Wholly F*! They have a huge line with even "normal" and "deluxe" versions!

http://speedteam.taobao.com/shop/xshop/wui...eckedRange=true

DEFINITELY wasting no time... although it's a pity they didn't take longer because the toys are pretty rough around the edges.

Still, it'd be neat to get one of the bigger ones as a curiosity.

EDIT: Especially since, if I'm not wrong, at 65 yuan that makes the larger toys ... right around $10.

Edited January 15, 2010 by QuinJester

[Funkenstein]

Man, these look even more like Aquarion than I thought. Also, is the character animation done in Flash? It looks like a Flash cartoon.

Edited January 15, 2010 by Funkenstein

[Vifam7]

The toys look completely bootleg.

I see Takatoku-like swing arms on these toys.

[Dangard Ace]

DEFINITELY wasting no time... although it's a pity they didn't take longer because the toys are pretty rough around the edges.

Still, it'd be neat to get one of the bigger ones as a curiosity.

EDIT: Especially since, if I'm not wrong, at 65 yuan that makes the larger toys ... right around $10.

That's about the exchange rate when I was over there in Nov.

Can't go wrong with $10. It'll be like buying TF's.

[miles316]

Honestly, I dunno what to think here.. yes, it's an utterly blatant rip-off, but I gotta say this.. China has the blatant rip-off down to an art form. If this ever gets over here, I wouldn't mind watching it actually. I'm sure it'd be hilarious, and probably excellent fodder for an MST3K treatment using Macross dialogue. All it's missing is combining mecha, and this would be the most epic rip-off of all time.

It is that kind of indifferent attitude that allows the chines to take more than they give (I don't mean Products) giving them access to the US Animation markets to peddle their copycat wears would you use counterfeit Colgate toothpaste.

Even though it may not meat the criteria for any Court sanction this movie is just to much like Macross (I Don't care if they say it is a tribute) to be considered original so unless they show some kind of agreement saying the Japanese holders of the rights to Macross are alowing who ever made this train wreck to use their work.

I might be able to accept if it was just the Fighter/Robots they borrowed like when the matrix borrowed the Digital Raine from Ghost in the Shell but to borrow so many elements Fold effect, Fighters/robots, Hoard of Alien fighters, Flag of what ever organization.

Given the Chines Media unwillingness/inability to criticize Their own government they probably wont have the inept/bureaucratic/corrupt government that has been a staple of Macross since the beginning.

[Dangard Ace]

Coming close to politics. Watch that line.

[QuinJester]

This is not the greatest show in the world, no... this is a tribute.

Couldn't remember the greatest show in the world, no, no! This is a tribute!

This is a tribute, you gotta believe. Oh I wish you were there. It's just a matter of opinion. Aw yeah.

AHEM.

Anyway, supporting evil empires or not, I think I might have to get at least one of these little guys as a curiosity; perhaps a purple one. Because if you're going to get something gaudy and atrocious looking, you may as well go all-out, right?